From data to decisions: how Fanran Meng’s research is influencing global transport systems

Decarbonising transport requires more than cleaner technologies. It demands better evidence on how fuels, materials, manufacturing and supply chains interact across the whole system. Dr Fanran Meng, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, is developing advanced modelling tools that help industry and policymakers identify practical pathways to reduce emissions across transport and industry systems.

His work has already been recognised through major honours including awards from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, IChemE, and the Landor LINKS Young Professional Award.

Published: 3 July 2026

Impact snapshot

Developed global facility-level LCA model:
- 37,000 facilities
- 2,000+ processes
Led EV battery supply chain modelling (UK and global)
Created open-source carbon tools adopted by industry

Doctor Meng Winning Young Professional of the Year 2026

A systems approach to decarbonisation

Dr Meng’s expertise lies in whole systems modelling for decarbonisation. His work combines life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, process modelling and optimisation to understand how materials, fuels and industrial processes shape emissions across supply chains.

Rather than treating transport, energy and materials as separate challenges, he connects them into a single evidence base.

This approach is especially important in sectors where emissions are difficult to reduce and where decisions made at one point in the supply chain can have unintended consequences elsewhere. By linking engineering detail with system-scale analysis, Dr Meng helps ensure that decarbonisation strategies are not only ambitious, but also realistic, cost-aware and implementable.

Key achievements and impact

Dr Meng has already built an impressive body of work with global reach. He has developed facility-level life cycle models covering more than 37,000 industrial facilities and over 2,000 processes, creating a far more detailed understanding of emissions hotspots and transition options than sector-average approaches can provide.

He has also led major work on EV battery supply chains and sustainable battery recycling systems in the UK and internationally, helping to clarify how battery manufacturing and recycling can evolve in lower-carbon directions.

A defining feature of his research is that it does not stop at publication. He creates open and decision-ready tools that can be used in practice by businesses, governments and international initiatives. His work informs industrial strategy, supports policy development, and contributes to wider global conversations on credible net-zero transitions.

Innovation and collaboration

What makes Dr Meng’s work stand out is its combination of technical depth, practical relevance and collaborative reach. His research is highly data-driven and operates at a much finer resolution than many conventional sustainability studies, allowing decisions to be evaluated at the level of technologies, facilities, supply chains and regions.

He works across the boundaries of academia, industry and policy, ensuring that his models are grounded in real-world constraints and real-world needs. His collaborations include major organisations such as Unilever and Saudi Aramco, alongside wider engagement with industrial and policy partners. This ability to bridge disciplines and sectors has allowed his research to move beyond theoretical analysis and into practical application.

Doctor Meng Winning Young Professional of the year

Career journey and leadership

Dr Meng’s career reflects a rapid and impressive progression from doctoral research to international research leadership. Following his PhD, he developed a distinctive research profile at the intersection of engineering systems, sustainability and industrial decarbonisation at the Universities of Nottingham and Cambridge, before establishing himself at the University of Sheffield as a leading voice in whole-system sustainability analysis.

He leads/co-leads a multi-million-pound research portfolio and leads a multidisciplinary team working across transport, chemicals, plastics, batteries and circular materials systems. Alongside his research, he is committed to mentoring students and early-career researchers, helping to develop the next generation of engineers equipped to tackle climate and sustainability challenges.

Why this stood out

As the judges noted, Dr Meng’s work on low-carbon fuels, circular plastics and EV battery manufacturing and recycling is creating a global scale impact through the whole life cycle approach he adopts. They were particularly impressed by both the level of funding he has secured, and the breadth of industrial partners informed by his work.

What distinguishes Dr Meng is his ability to combine rigorous engineering analysis with immediate real-world application. He is not only producing high-quality research but also delivering tools and insights that are already being used in practice. At an early career stage, he is helping shape international thinking on transport decarbonisation and the wider transition to net zero.

Fanran Meng, Winner of the 2026 Decarbonising Transport Awards Young Professional Trophy

What happens next?

Looking ahead, Dr Meng’s research will continue to focus on the next generation of decision tools for decarbonising transport and industrial systems. His priorities include improving the spatial and technological resolution of transition models, strengthening the evidence base for battery and materials circularity and renewable fuels, and supporting more effective links between industrial investment, public policy, and environmental outcomes.

As transport systems become increasingly connected with materials supply chains, electricity networks and resource constraints, this type of integrated systems thinking will become even more important. Dr Meng’s work is well placed to help shape that future.